This is why men out-perform women at Scrabble

The reason makes total sense

This is why men out-perform women at Scrabble

I am *OK* at Scrabble – better at Boggle, but could still hold my own against a 12-year-old at Scrabble. Especially a 12-year-old girl, apparently, because it turns out that men are better than women at Scrabble.

According to research published in the journal Psychological Research, men consistently out-perform women in Scrabble competitions around the world, even though there are actually slightly more female players.

But why?

Well, to find out, University of Miami researcher Dr Jerad Moxley questioned 300 participants at the 2004 and 2008 US National Scrabble tournaments about their playing habits.

It turns out that men are ‘better’ than women because women can’t be arsed to spend loads of time perfecting a pointless skill. It all makes sense now – women would rather spend their time on useful pastimes, and men channel all their effort into dumb things like getting good at FIFA or board games that don’t actually matter.

Dr Moxley found that men would spend their time in between games studying past winners and analysing anagrams, whereas women (who spent the same amount of time playing the game) would simply play for fun. Trust men to take all the fun out of something and turn it into an insufferable obsession.

He concluded by saying:

“Just because there is a huge gender difference, it doesn’t mean there is a huge ability gap.”

It’s simply down to practice – whereas women probably realise that being really, really good at Scrabble means almost nothing, men took the opposite route in their quest to become the world’s best Scrabble player.

If you think you’re an expert, then why not check out our Scrabble quiz here. Ladies, it’s a fun way to spend five minutes. Men, IT WILL ENABLE YOU TO BECOME SUPREME SCRABBLE OVERLORD. GO FORTH AND CRUSH YOUR ENEMIES.

(Image: iStock)


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Planet Earth

Why are some icebergs emerald green ?

Image Credit: AGU/Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans/Kipfstuhl et al 1992

Scientists are closing in on an answer to the question of why some icebergs exhibit a distinctive green tinge.

Green icebergs have been an enduring enigma for years, but now according to a new study by researchers from the United States and Australia, these unusual chunks of ice may owe their anomalous coloration to iron oxides picked up from rock dust on the Antarctic mainland.

The idea stems from the discovery of large amounts of iron on East Antarctica’s Amery Ice Shelf.

In an intriguing twist, researchers have also proposed that these green icebergs may be transporting iron out in to the ocean where it is acting as a source of nutrition for phytoplankton.

If this is true, then it could mean that green icebergs are actually very important to the food chain.

“It’s like taking a package to the post office,” said study lead author and glaciologist Stephen Warren from the University of Washington. “The iceberg can deliver this iron out into the ocean far away, and then melt and deliver it to the phytoplankton that can use it as a nutrient.”

“We always thought green icebergs were just an exotic curiosity, but now we think they may actually be important.”

Planet Earth

Latimeria found, lived on our planet long before the dinosaurs

The unique fish Latimeria chalumnae, also called “Coelacanth”, lived on our planet long before the dinosaurs. They were long thought to have disappeared around the same time, about 65 million years ago.

However, after 1938, when the first Latimeria was officially discovered by chance, it turns out that the Latimerians did not die, but live in the deep waters off the east and south coasts of Africa.

Later, a second type of Latimeria was discovered in Indonesia.

The oldest fossils of Latimeria are 360 million years old, and the “freshest” are 80 million years old. At the same time, it should be known that there were a huge number of Latimerians, at least 90 different species. They have been distributed worldwide, in sea and fresh waters.

Latimeria stand out against the modern fishes with their unusual fins, more like limbs, and a wedge-shaped tail. Their bodies are covered with solid scales, similar to armor.

Latimeria are pretty big fish. They can reach up to 2 meters in length and weigh up to 90 kg. At the same time, the fact that no one has found them for so long is amazing.

Even after this species has been officially recognized as being extant, the Latimeria is still rare and can only be found through specific monitoring in the waters where it has been observed.

Latimeria swim slowly and feed on cephalopods and deep-sea fishes. Often, they were discovered in groups in underwater caves. They live to about 48 years. Females give birth to live individuals after a long pregnancy of 13 months.

The first discovered Latimeria

The history of the Coelacanth is the cornerstone that supports the belief of many cryptozoologists that the mysterious Yeti, sea monsters, Chupacabra and other cryptids, actually exist, but simply have not yet been found.

At least two species of Latimeria, and perhaps more, have survived to this day without hiding at all. In addition, as mentioned above, Latimeria’s “freshest” fossils date back to 80 million years.

Just imagine this huge period of time during which archeologists have not found a single skeleton of Latimeria, even though they existed all this time.

According to some reports, there are populations of 300-400 individuals near the coasts of Africa and Indonesia. This comes after several years of increased illegal fishing. In the 1980s, the Latimerians were hunted (supposedly) because of the healing properties of their meat, and before that there were probably several thousand of them.

But if they were initially much smaller, they would probably never have been discovered at all, still considered extinct.

And the rare stories of local fishermen about “fish with a foot and a shell ” would be considered the same fiction as the stories of Africans about living dinosaurs.

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Planet Earth

Humpback Whales Have Made a Stunning Recovery After Coming Close to Extinction

Elias Marat, The Mind Unleashed

After coming dangerously close to the brink of extinction, the humpback whale population in the South Atlantic Ocean has made a stunning rebound, according to scientists.

Around 60 years ago, it was estimated that the western South Atlantic (WSA) humpback whale population had been thinned out to less than 500.

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Planet Earth

The heartbeat of a blue whale is recorded for the first time

Blue Whales can survive with two beats per minute in the ocean depths and now for the first time heartbeat of a blue whale is recorded.

heartbeat of a blue whale is recorded

When a blue whale feeds, it skips several heartbeats, sometimes up to 30. this is what a team of marine biologists has discovered after being able to record the heartbeat of a blue whale, on the coast near California. To do this, a suction pulse monitor was placed on his back.

The researchers watched as the marine giant emerged and submerged again for a period of almost 9 hours, alternately filling its lungs with air and its stomach with appetizing schools of fish hundreds of meters below the surface.

During the dives, the whale’s heart has brutal ups and downs, pumping from 34 times per minute on the sea surface to only 2 per minute at the deepest depths – between 30 and 50% slower than expected to be recorded.

According to the new study published in PNAS, the simple act of opening the mouth to eat takes the heart of the cetacean to its physical limits, something that could explain why there are no creatures larger than the blue whale on the planet.

“Animals that function at physiological extremes can help us understand the biological limits of size,” said lead author Jeremy Goldbogen, an assistant professor at Stanford University in California. “In other words: if the heart of a whale is not able to pump faster during the effort required in the search for food, how could it support the heart of an older animal and provide the required energy?”

The largest animal in the world Blue Whale

Blue whales are the largest creatures that have ever inhabited the oceans (the Patagotitan mayorum dinosaur was consecrated as the largest terrestrial creature that has stepped on the planet, after its study and classification in 2014 ).

Upon reaching adulthood, the blue whale can be more than 30 meters long, more or less the length of two school buses parked one after the other. It takes a big heart to drive a beast of such size; and while this organ is not so large that a human can swim inside one of its arteries, as an urban myth says, the truth is that stranded whales have allowed hearts to recover up to 200 kilograms and the size of a golf cart .

Blue whale heart. With a weight of 200 kg, it was extracted from a specimen that found its final destination on the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, in 2014. heartbeat of a blue whale is recorded
Blue whale heart.

Scientists already knew that the pulse of these cetaceans decreased in the aquatic environment. When mammals submerge, their bodies automatically begin to redistribute oxygen; The heart and brain are the ones that most demand oxygen, while your muscles, skin and other organs receive less. This allows animals to stay underwater for longer with a single inhalation, resulting in a lower than normal heart rate. This is so true for humans who like diving as for blue whales, however, given the enormous size of the whale and its ability to reach 300 meters below the surface, their hearts are pushed to limits beyond our own. .

Change in the heartbeat of a blue whale with change in depth

In the creature studied, its maximum immersion lasted 16.5 minutes, reaching a depth of 184 meters. On the other hand, he never spent more than 4 minutes on the surface to fill his lungs with air.

The sensor set by the scientists showed that in the deepest dives, the heart of the whale beat at an average rate of 4 to 8 times per minute, with a minimum of only 2 beats per minute. “During these beats that were so temporarily separated, the flexible aortic artery of the animal contracted to maintain a slowed movement of the oxygenated blood through the body,” the researchers write.

Back on the surface, the heart rate accelerated rapidly to 25 to 37 beats per minute, charging the bloodstream with enough oxygen to support the next dive. “At that time the heart of the whale was working near its physical limit,” the authors add. “It is unlikely that your heart can beat faster than that.”

Source: Live Science

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The exhibition Island opened on 11th October. Constructed as multiple, unfolding chapters, of a novel the show captures various moments in Aldous Huxley’s novel from 1962, somewhat a counterpart to A Brave New World  written thirty years earlier. In the enclavic and psychic setting of Pala new criteria for “value” lie in harmony, personal  fulllment, arts, architecture and the imagination. Ecentric solutions are found to old social problems, one regulator being the use of psychedelic drugs, tantra, rock climbing, multiple  family structures, and collective and individual healing sessions. Island celebrates both the psychedelic Sixties, the dissolution of conventional Western mores and identities and the rise of new forms of awareness. As novel, it is also a cautionary tale of the  mindless exploitation of resources allied to the capitalization of spirituality. The exhibition follows the transformative steps of Bloomsbury-born protagonist Will Farnaby, observer, actor and catalyst. Within Island, Will’s transformation is loosely organized around the intertwined experiences of crash, awakening, abundance, and self-betrayal. The rst pivotal word Farnaby hears on the island is “Attention” the initial awakening of a  journey towards the “here and now.”

Island exhibition Island exhibition Island exhibition

Artists list: John Armleder, Sylvie Auvray, Tom Benson, Valentin Carron, Jake and Dinos Chapman, George Condo, Ann Craven, Thomas Demand, Zeng Fanzhi, Urs Fischer, Théodore Fivel,  Sylvie Fleury, FOS, Cyprien Gaillard, Gunjan Gupta, Anthea Hamilton, Thilo Heinzmann,  Reena Saini Kallat, Terence Koh, Sergej Jensen, Rashid Johnson, Adriana Lara, Franck Leibovici  & Diemo Schwarz, Fang Lijun, Ursula Mayer, Takashi Murakami, Order of the Third Bird,  Jagannath Panda, Mai-Thu Perret, Sigmar Polke, Laure Prouvost, R.H. Quaytman,  Ugo Rondinone, Sterling Ruby, Tomàs Saraceno, Julian Schnabel, Cindy Sherman, Dirk Skreber, Haim Steinbach, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Thukral and Tagra, Andro Wekua, Ai Weiwei, Douglas White.


Hiking: A journey back in time

Gomera Experience

We invite you to experience on foot the picturesque villages in the south of La Gomera. You will discover how country life used to be and how it is today: the agriculture; the sheep and goat herding. We shall also introduce you to the traditional way shepherds traversed the abrupt terrain: the salto del pastor (which translates as “shepherds’ jump”).

Our hike crosses the centuries, from ancient times to the present day. Along the way we shall see the changes the island has suffered since the days of the ancient Gomerans, up till present times, when tourism has become what fuels the island’s economy.

Going back in time, we begin our route at an emblematic place for the ancient Gomerans: the mountain of Tagaragunche, where we shall learn about their ancient rituals. We hike on, passing through the hamlets of Targa and Antoncojo, where we can see how the country folk lived and worked. Here sheep and goat herding still flourishes and you will learn about the traditional salto del pastor. Continuing on from here, we get a view down to the island’s south coast and can witness how much tourism now influences the Gomeran economy. During the hike you will be able to try some of the island’s local delicacies.

Guided walk

Tasting of local produce

Shepherds jump salto del pastor

Discounts for groups of 6 or over

Pure nature from someone who knows the corners of the island in detail

A private guide for tailored trips, a privilege which enables the traveller to discover La Gomera in a personalised way. Tours that make time standstill, which are enjoyed discovering the secrets, details and unexplored beauties that make the island such a unique place.
The history, geology and peculiarities of La Gomera are brought to the visitor in different tours: “The island of a thousand faces”, “Among the moss and the mist”, “A journey through time” etc.

European Charter for Sustainable Tourism

Action for a Sustainable Tourism

- Conservation and enhancement of the environment: 3

- Preservation and improvement of the quality of life of local residents and social development: 3

- Conservation and enhancement of the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the Garajonay National Park: 3

La Gomera
Amazing contrasts
June 1, 2019


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Science Notes

One of Our Planets is Missing

No, it's not the action of a neutronium-clad doomsday machine, nor a huge, sperical space station terrorizing the galaxy. Rather, a humble, but sometimes raucus group of astronomers in Prague decided yesterday to downgrade Pluto's status leaving our Solar System with only eight planets.

This is directly in contradiction to earlier reports of a new definition for a planet that would have included not just Pluto, but three other known objects and the potential for dozens of large objects that have yet to be discovered.

According to the International Astronomical Union:

Pluto is now considered a "Dwarf Planet", which has a definition similar to the above except for the end which now reads "...(c) has not cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit, and (d) is not a satellite." Pluto is joined by Ceres and 2003 UB313 in this somewhat dubious category.

History of the Problem
Pluto was discovered in 1930, and Clyde Tombaugh, the astronomer who found the object wanted to name it after Percival Lowell, so he found a Roman name that included Lowell's initials. At the time, Pluto was thought to be roughly the same size as the Earth, but eventually the object was slimmed down to a mere 1,413 miles across -- smaller than the Earth's moon.

Since the 1990s, astronomers have battled over Pluto's status. Many correctly point out that its unusual orbit and small size identify it as likely just a large piece of debris from the Kuiper belt. Ultimately every planet in this Solar System was made from such debris and the Kuiper belt beyond Neptune and the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter are just left over material. Public support and tradition have long been on Pluto's side, however. Textbooks and years of material have identified Pluto as a planet. When New York's Hayden Planetarium left Pluto off a model of the Solar System, it drew an enormous outcry, not just from the public, but from other astronomers who felt the museum had overreached its authority.

In 1999, the IAU had its first brush with this issue when a proposal was made to consider Pluto a planet associated with the Kuiper belt. Astronomers then were strongly opposed to reducing the planet's status. But the discovery of 2003 UB313 (unofficially called "Xena" and it's satellite is "Gabrielle") might have caused this issue to be revisited. Slightly larger than Pluto, "Xena" was surely going to become our Solar System's tenth planet. But it's position in the Kuiper belt and the possibility for more similarly-sized objects caused some to worry that the number of official planets to grow dramatically. Might the Sun be home to 15, 20, 30 planets ultimately? Clearly, the matter needed to be pinned down. What is a planet after all?

Amazingly, until yesterday, there was no official astronomical definition for a planet. The IAU settled the problem by arguing over several different definitions, ultimately selecting one that kicked Pluto out of the club after two years of frustrating efforts. Indeed, the first committee to look at the problem, a group of astronomers, could not agree on a scientifically accurate definition. A second committee comprised of historians and educators was formed a few months ago to look at the problem from a fresh perspective.

Flawed Definition
Alan Stern, the head of NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto, is outraged that less than five percent of the world's astronomers had a vote on the issue. Others think that the new category for Pluto is awkward when it says "A dwarf planet isn't a planet." Ultimately, I think the definition needs to be refined. Read it again. Then look at this chart. By the official definition currently accepted by the IAU, the Earth itself is not a planet. The existing definition not only places Earth on the questionable list, it also will present problems when we begin to identify planets in younger solar systems orbiting other stars. Inevitably, the issue will have to be revisited, and at that time Pluto may be restored to planetary status.

Clyde Tombaugh, may you rest in peace.

psion on 2006-08-25 05:21:54

More Problems

You know, looking at those definitions, I see more problems. The definition of a "dwarf planet" specifies that the object isn't a satellite. That, for example, would rule out our own Moon as a dwarf planet. However, the definition of a "planet" doesn't make that distinction. Thus, the Moon might be a planet by this definition ... if its orbital path had been cleared, of course.

An even bigger problem arises from the beginning of the definition: "...a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun..." In orbit around the Sun? This wasn't written as a sun, it specifies our own Sun both with the definitive article and capitalization.

Folks, the only planets in our universe exist right here in our Solar System. And even here, I'm not sure what objects qualify since Earth clearly does not. This goes way beyond issues with Pluto ... the IAU has produced flawed work that clearly has no business being a scientific standard used for classifying celestial objects. We were better off when there was no definition.

psion on 2006-08-26 15:41:41

The Debate Grows...

Like I said, I'm not the only one who sees flaws in the IAU's methodology or results.

psion on 2006-09-03 05:02:42

I Have a Question

Goddess of Discord

In a sly acknowledgement of all the trouble 2003 UB313 caused when it was discovered, the IAU has dubbed the planet -- excuse me, dwarf planet -- "Eris" after the Greek goddess of discord. Eris' moon, has been named "Dysnomia" a Greek daemon of lawlessness and the daughter of Eris. One wonders if Lucy Lawless might have been a subtle inspiration for a planet pair unofficially named "Xena" and "Gabrielle" prior to this decision.

psion on 2006-09-15 14:07:12


Who We Are - Rota do Românico

The Route of the Romanesque

In the land of the valleys of Sousa, Tâmega and Douro, in the heart of the North of Portugal, stands an important architectural heritage of Romanesque origin. Common traits that carry legends and stories born with the foundation of the Nationality and which witness the significant role that this territory formerly played in the history of the nobility and religious orders in Portugal.

This heritage is structured in the Route of the Romanesque, germinated, in 1998, within the municipalities that comprise the VALSOUSA - Associação de Municípios do Vale do Sousa [Association of Municipalities of Vale do Sousa: Castelo de Paiva, Felgueiras, Lousada, Paços de Ferreira, Paredes and Penafiel] and extended, in 2010, to the remaining municipalities of the NUT III - Tâmega and Sousa [Amarante, Baião, Celorico de Basto, Cinfães, Marco de Canaveses and Resende], thus bringing together in a supramunicipal project a common historical and cultural legacy.

Anchored in a set of 58 monuments of great value and exceptional characteristics, the Route of the Romanesque intends to take on a role of excellence in the scope of cultural and landscape touring, able to position the region as a reference destination of the Romanesque.

Over the last few years, the Route of the Romanesque has been emerging as a national reference project, being recognised as a paradigm of regional development, in various areas of intervention: from heritage conservation to tourist promotion, from scientific research to the dissemination of knowledge, from cultural promotion to heritage education.

Mission and Goals

The Route of the Romanesque's mission is to contribute to the sustainable development of the valleys of Sousa, Tâmega and Douro.

Its goals are:

Promote regional planning through the enhancement of the heritage;

Create a new productive sector, capable of generating wealth;

Change the internal and external image of the region;

Qualify the human resources of the region;

Ensure qualified employability.


The Environics, Inc. Post

In the News: ROBD2 Hypoxia Training by the US Air Force

Check out this recent article regarding the use of the Reduced Oxygen Breathing Device in preparing US Air Force Airmen for the "Worse Case Scenario."  The Environics Reduced Oxygen Breathing Device 2 (or ROBD2) plays a key role in that training.

airmen robd2 trainingThe ROBD2 is manufactured solely by Environics and is a computerized gas-blending system which uses mass flow controllers to precisely generate hypoxic breathing conditions without affecting atmospheric pressure.  Airmen, both pilots and crew, undergo training on the ROBD2 to prepare them for the signs and symptoms of hypoxia that they might feel and to practice the appropriate emergency procedures when that occurs.

Staff Sgt. Vikas Kumar, 92nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron aerospace and operational physiology NCO in charge of training at Fairchild Air Force base stated, "The ROBD2 is what we use here in place of the hypobaric chamber.  There are several advantages to using this system. Not only is it much cheaper to maintain than a chamber, it's a lot less taxing on the body because it doesn't have any atmospheric pressure change involved, making it possible to fly a jet right after if needed, unlike using the chamber, you have a 12-hour restriction."

Check out this video and learn more on the use of the ROBD2 by the Air Force.


Amita Kuttner with North Vancouver Green Candidate George Orr at the NEB Decision Rally in Downtown Vancouver

Regarding the NEB’s Review

For Immediate Release
February 22, 2019, Vancouver.

We strongly oppose the National Energy Board’s renewed approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, and disagree that the pipeline remains in the public interest of Canada. This opposition is rooted in the climate change impacts that the Trudeau government specifically excluded from the NEB’s review of pipeline project.

The NEB concluded the following:

  • “Project-related marine shipping is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects on the Southern resident killer whale and on Indigenous cultural use associated with the Southern resident killer whale”
  • “Greenhouse gas emissions from Project-related marine vessels would likely be significant.”
  • “[If] a credible worst-case spill from the Project or a Project-related marine vessel […] were to occur the environmental effects would be significant.”

Despite these conclusions, the NEB recommended “that the Government of Canada find that they can be justified” based on dubious economic claims. The NEB has also provided 16 new recommendations to the Government of Canada, but the government is free to ignore these recommendations without any penalty. The recommendations are, however, worded in such a way that the Federal Government will be able to claim that they are following the majority of them without actually doing anything new.

Given that the Trudeau government specifically excluded climate concerns from the NEB’s review, we have no faith that they will attempt to follow any ecological recommendations, or heed any warnings about adverse environmental effects. The Trudeau government has shown through this process that it does not care about the Paris Climate Agreement, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the Species At Risk Act, or the safety and wellbeing of the millions of Canadian citizens who live on the shores of the Salish Sea.

Amita attended the NEB decision rally in downtown Vancouver on Feb. 22nd, and the gathering was much larger than the pro-pipeline protest Amita recently witnessed in Ottawa. “It is as clear as ever that our community does not consent to the pipeline expansion. Given the warnings in the NEB decision report, we call on the Trudeau government to not go through with the project.”


Biomedical Consultant, Senior

Key Role:

Work in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment to assist with the technical program management of research and development (R&D) efforts. Leverage expertise in the subject matter to advise clients in multiple areas, including molecular biology, synthetic biology, biochemistry, genetics, and biomedical data analysis with a particular focus on the innovative applications of biological principles and properties. Provide strategic assessments of novel scientific discoveries and emerging technologies for a larger client portfolio. Draft and edit documents for a range of technical audiences.

Basic Qualifications:

-5+ years of experience with research in the fields of molecular biology, biochemistry, or genetics, including research as a graduate student

-5+ years of experience with authoring technical papers, reports, or program plans for both technical and non-technical audiences

-Ability to show multiple first-author contributions to peer-reviewed papers or patents

-Ability to explain and present complex scientific concepts to a broad audience

-Ability to commute to Arlington, VA

-Ability to obtain a security clearance

-PhD degree in Molecular Biology, Molecular Biophysics, Biochemistry, or Genetics

Additional Qualifications:

-2+ years of experience with postdoctoral academic or industrial research

-Experience in working with government agencies

-Experience with science and technology policies

-Possession of excellent oral and written communication skills, including scientific writing


Derrick Franke Facilitates First Ever Taped Victim/Offender Dialogue in Indiana's History

June 21, 2019

Derrick FrankeCNN aired the season finale of their original series The Redemption Project on Sunday June 16th. Each episode in the series follows a story of an offender, their victim(s), and their mutual search for healing. The season finale followed the two surviving sons of a man who was murdered and their first interaction with the person who killed their father since the trail concluded over ten years ago. Derrick Franke was the facilitator of the victim/offender dialogue.

Producers of the show reached out to Derrick in March of 2018. They had heard of Derrick through his work in restorative justice, particularly his experience in facilitating victim/offender dialogues (Derrick has conducted over 200 facilitations in the past decade). After months of planning, they were able to schedule a time to facilitate what would be the first ever filmed victim/offender dialogue in Indiana’s history.

Before agreeing to partner with the team at Citizen Jones, the company producing The Redemption Project, Derrick wanted to ensure that they were taking the process seriously. He wanted to ensure that if the participants decided that they were not ready or did not want the interaction to be on camera that the team would agree to halt production. Derrick says that he was concerned because if the process is not handled correctly, the encounters can cause more harm than good. Looking back on the experience, Derrick says that he cannot express how impressed he was with the entire production team and that they all understood the magnitude and importance of the work they were all doing.

Going forth, Derrick hopes that the Redemption Project will change the hearts and minds of those who are watching and help advance restorative justice here in Michigan and across the United States.


SpaceChain (ERC-20)

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The key to Space Chain is to deploy all blockchain nodes on satellites so as to bring blockchain technology into space, adding a new dimension to blockchain’s core concept of distributed ledger by making use of space technology and advantages of space resources. As a space blockchain platform featuring data collecting, computing, application and storage, Space Chain uses satellites as its blockchain nodes for realizing direct on-satellite data processing and secure in-space data storage through cryptographic technologies such as quantum communications. Different from ground-network-based blockchain technology, Space chain provides a broader coverage and is based on a network of LEO satellites for achieving broad-based connectivity so that anyone and anything could become the user of blockchain technology anywhere and anytime.


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The College of Education is dedicated to the ideals of Collaboration, Academic
Excellence, Research, and Ethics/Diversity (CARE). These are key tenets in the
Conceptual Framework of the College of Education. Competence in these ideals
will provide candidates in educator preparation programs with skills, knowledge,
and dispositions to be successful in the schools of today and tomorrow.
1. Course Prefix and Number: LAE 4424

Credit Hours: 3

2. Course Title: Teaching Children's Literature: Developing Literary

Appreciation, Global Perspectives, and Knowledge of Text Structures

3. Regular Instructor(s): Vanessa Casciola

Office: EDU 202

4. Course Prerequisites (if any): None

5. Course Description:
Building on an appreciation for childrens literature, the purpose of this class is
for undergraduate teacher candidates to learn how to select quality literature for
children and to demonstrate instructional strategies for developing childrens
engagement with literary texts, childrens understanding of diverse and global
perspectives, and childrens knowledge of text structures.
(3 credits)
6. Course Goals and Objectives:
List major goals and related objective (student learning outcomes) that will be
taught and assessed in the course. They should reflect the knowledge, skills, and/
or dispositions students will have learned at the conclusion of the course. After
each objective, in parentheses, list the standards that are addressed. Include
Florida Educator Accomplished Practices (FEAP), Conceptual Framework (CF),
Professional Standards (International Reading Association- IRA), Competencies
and Skills Required for Teacher Certification in Florida (CS), English Speakers of
Other Languages (ESOL), Reading Endorsement Competencies (FRC).
Undergraduate teacher candidates will:

1. Identify and analyze text structures of childrens literature (e.g.

narrative, information, fables, folktales, poetry, drama, media, etc.)
(CF 2: CS 2.1, 2,2, 6.1: IRA 2.2, 2.3: FRC, 1A3, 1A6)
2. Identify and analyze literary elements across genres of childrens
literature (e.g. narrative, information, fables, folktales, poetry, drama,
media, etc.)
(CF 2: CS 2.1, 2.2: FRC 1A6)

3. Identify and describe the elements of design that contribute to the art of
the picture book.
(CF 2: CS 2.1, 2.2, 6.1: IRA 2.3: FRC 1A6)

4. Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning,

fiction, folktale, myth, poem).
(CF 2: CS 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 6.1: IRA 2.3: FRC 1A4, 1A6)
5. Identify and evaluate language use and vocabulary in childrens
(CF 2: CS 2.2IRA 2.2: FRC 2F4)
6. Identify and evaluate literature that represents diverse cultural, racial,
social, religious, economic, and sexual identities and facilitate a learning
environment in which differences and commonalities are valued.
(FEAP 2d: CS 2.3: CF 5: IRA 2.3, 4.1: FRC 1A4, 4.8)
7. Compare and contrast the contributions and the compositional techniques
of various authors, illustrators, poets, and playwrights.
(IRA 2.3 CS 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)
8. Compare and contrast key details, content, and literary elements
presented in history/social studies, science, and technical texts that vary
in text complexity.
(FEAP 3b: CS 2.1, 2.2, 2.3: CF 2: IRA 2.3)
9. Demonstrate effective read-aloud techniques (e.g., using words and
phrases to supply rhythm and meaning in a story, poem, or song,
speaking in a different voice for each character when reading dialogue
aloud, highlighting illustrations as part of the meaning-making process).
(FEAP 2e: CS 2.4: IRA 2.2: ACEI 1: FRC 1E1, 1E2)
10. Demonstrate effective read-aloud techniques for reading various text
structures (e.g., picture books, chapter books, information texts, big
books, and multimedia texts).
(FEAP 2e: IRA 2.2: CS 2.4, 6.1; ACEI 1: FRC 1E1)

11. Demonstrate various practices to differentiate literature instruction (e.g.,

book talks, literature circles, partner work, and research/investigation
(FEAP 1f: IRA 2.2: CS 2.4: ACEI 1)
12. Demonstrate the ability to engage children in a range of collaborative
partners to explore literary content, elements, and personal responses.
(FEAP 3f: IRA 5.1, 5.4: CS 2.4: FRC 2A4, 2B2: ACEI 1, 2.1)
13. Demonstrate differentiated literature instruction that reveals an
understanding of the relationship between first- and second-language
acquisition and literacy development.
(FEAP 2d: CF 5, 6: IRA 1.1, 2.2, 4.1: CS 2.4: FRC 1B5, 4.8: ACEI 1, 2.1,
14. Guided by evidence-based rationale, select and use quality traditional
print, digital, and online resources to build an accessible, multilevel, and
diverse classroom library that contains traditional print, digital, and
online classroom materials.
(FEAP 2a: CF 2: IRA 2.2, 2.3, 4.1: CS 2.1, 2.4, 6.1, 6.3: FRC 1A6, 2G3:
ACEI 2.1)

7. Content Outline:
This is a tentative weekly schedule of topics and/or outline should be included.
Instructor has the right to change any topics or dates.

Assignments Due

Review Syllabus

Bring Syllabus
Bring in one of your
favorite books (any book)

Overview of
Genres of

No Class

Selecting and

Historical Fiction
Response: Animoto Video

Kiefer and Tyson chapter

1 and 8

Assignments Due

Finish Historical Fiction

if needed

Kiefer and Tyson chapter

Emergent Literacy
(Picture Books)
Response: Class ABC
Book Talks
Start Whole class Book

Read Number the Stars

chapters 1-3

Picture books (fictional

and classic)
Response: Caldecott
Award Ceremony
Book Talks
Whole class Book Club

Kiefer and Tyson chapter

Multicultural Literature
Response: Tableaux
Book Talks
Whole class book club

Readings on Canvas
Read Number the Stars
chapters 7-10

Picture Books
Increasing complexity)
Response: Written
Response about practical
Whole Class Book Club
Book Talks

Kiefer and Tyson chapter

Traditional Literature
Classic Literature
Response: Retell the
story from a different
point of view
Group Book Club
Book Talks

Kiefer and Tyson chapter

Read for group book club

Response: Write a poem
Group book club
Book Talks

Kiefer and Tyson chapter

Read for group book club

Read Number the Stars

chapters 4-6

Read Number the Stars

chapters 11-14

Assignments Due

How to do a read aloud

Group Book Club
Book talks

Read for group book club

Bring book for read aloud
Bring start of your read
aloud lesson plan
In-class read aloud

Diverse Portrayals

Diverse Portrayals
Presentations Due

Response: Graphic
Group Book Club
Book Talks

Kiefer and Tyson chapter

Read for group book club
Diverse Portrayals
Paper due

Contemporary Realistic
Response: Character
Trait Train
Group book club
Book Talks

Kiefer and Tyson chapter

Read for group book club

Response: Make Music
Group book club
Book Talks

Kiefer and Tyson chapter

Read for group book club
Read aloud lesson due

Share Book Wish List

Classroom Ideas
Final Book Club
Book Talks

Read for group book club

Book Wish List Due
Response repository due
Literary Analysis due to
Chalk and Wire

No class

8. Evaluation of Student Outcomes:

Standards Met

a) Literary Analysis* (Objectives 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6: FEAP 2d: CF 2, 5: IRA 2.2,

2.3, 4.1: CS 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 6.1: FRC 1A3, 1A4,1A6, 2F4, 4.8)
b) Classroom Library (Objectives 6, 7, 8, 14: FEAP 2a, 2d, 2e, 3b: CF 2, 5: IRA
2.2, 2.3, 4.1: CS 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 6.1, 6.3: FRC 2F4, 2G3: ACEI 1)
c) Response Repository (Objectives 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 12: FEAP 3f: CF 2: IRA 2.2,
2.3, 5.1, 5.4:CS 2.4: ACEI 1, 2.1, 3.5: ESOL 11.1, 11.2, 17.1: FRC)
d) Author/Illustrator/Poet Project (Optional)(Objectives 7, 11: FEAP 1f:
IRA 2.2, 2.3: CS: 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4:ACEI 1, 2.1)
e) Diverse Portrayals in Childrens Literature (Objectives 1, 2, 6, 7, 11:
FEAP 1f, 2d: CF 2. 5: IRA 2.2, 2.3, 3.3, 4.1: ACEI 1: CS 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4: FRC
1A3, 1A6, 2B2)
f) Read Alouds*(Objectives 9, 10, 13: FEAP 2e: IRA 2.2: CS: 2.1, 2.4, 6.1:
ACEI 1: FRC 1E1, 1E2)
g) Book Talks (Objectives 11, 13: FEAP 1f, 2d: CF 5, 6: IRA 1.1, 2.2, 4.1: CS
2.4: ACEI 1, 2.1, 3.2: FRC 1B5, 2B3, 4.8)
h) Literature Discussion Groups* (Objectives 11, 12: FEAP 1f, 3f: IRA 2.2,
5.1, 5.4: CS: 2.4: ACEI 1, 2.1: FRC 1A6, 2G3)

*Literacy Portfolio: Two components of this Portfolio include Critical Tasks

[Component 1 (Literary Analysis) and Component 4 (Read Aloud Step 3)]
These tasks must be uploaded to Chalk & Wire.

Component 1Knowledge of Text Structures

a) Literary Analysis (Critical Task)

You will read the following books that represent genres of childrens
literature. You will analyze each book and identify genre elements and
literary devices. For each genre, you will create or write a response to the
book(s) to demonstrate your ability to identify the genre elements and
literary devices. Specific guidelines for each genre will be provided in class.
You will bring the books to class on the assigned day.

You will select and read childrens books according to the following

Emergent Picture Books (4)

Select and read two pattern books, one ABC book, one counting
book. To ensure quality text selection, choose books that are
listed in the course textbook.
Multicultural Picture Books (4)
Select any texts listed in the textbook

Classic Picture Books (4)

Read Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak and The
Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Then select and read one
favorite book from Dr. Seuss and select and read two favorite
picture books from your childhood.
Fictional Picture Books (4)
Select and read 4 books that tell a realistic story. To ensure
quality text selection, choose books that are listed in the course

Contemporary Realistic Fiction Books (2)

Read a recent Newbery Winner or Newbery Honor book of
realistic fiction. (Instructor will provide the title.)
Select and read one of the most recent Sunshine State Young
Reader Books (Instructor will provide the specific list).

Information Books (8)

Select and read one book about the human or animal body, one
book about the earth, one book about space, one book about a
historical event in the U.S., one book about a historical event
outside of the U.S., two books that teach math concepts, and one
book of your choice (e.g. your hobbies, interests, travel, etc.). To
ensure quality text selection, choose books that are listed in the
course textbook or books that have won the Robert F. Sibert
Informational Book Medal ( or the Orbis Pictus
Award (
Historical Fiction books (2)
Read Number the Stars by Lois Lowry.
Also choose another historical fiction book. Possible books: Roll of
Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor, Crispin: The Cross of
Lead by Avi, Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata
Biographies (5)
Select and read one book about a historical figure of the United
States, one book about a musician, one book about a
contemporary female scientist, one book about a person who is
from a different culture, ethnicity, or race, one about a person of
interest to you. To ensure quality text selection, choose books
that are listed in the course textbook.

Traditional Literature books (3)

Choose one traditional folk tale (Possible books: Cinderella,
Beauty and the Beast, Jack and the Bean Stalk, The Three Little Pigs,

Little Red Riding Hood, etc.). Find and read 3 or more versions or
variations of the same story.

Fantasy books (2)

Read a classic book of fantasy
Select and read a recent Newbery Winner or Newbery Honor book
of fantasy.
Poetry Anthologies (2)
Select and read one anthology that includes poetry from many
Select and read one anthology that includes poetry from a single
To ensure quality text selection, choose poets who are listed in
the course textbook.
Classic Pieces of Literature (2)
Read two pieces of classic literature.
Possible books include: The Secret Garden by F.H. Burnett,
Peter and Wendy by J.M. Barrie, Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory by Roald Dahl, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll,
The Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum, Little Women by L.M. Alcott,
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine LEngle, The Lion, the Witch,
and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne,
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder, The Little
Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

b) Classroom Library Wish List

Using an electronic network (, you will design a
comprehensive classroom library for your future classroom. This library
will include literature from each genre, literature of increasing complexity,
and multimedia resources to encourage reading for personal and academic

You will categorize the literature into themes that are relevant to you.
Then you will provide a rationale for your selections and themes. Your
classroom library will be evaluated through a rubric that will be discussed
and distributed during class.

Component 2 Literary Appreciation

c) Response Repository
The class textbook includes many examples of the ways in which readers
can respond to literature. A range of response activities will be discussed
and modeled in class. You will respond to the childrens literature texts you

read using various multi-modalities in order to develop your

understanding of the connection between reading and response. You will
provide reflections on your learning through these activities. A template
for these reflections is provided on Canvas.

Component 3 Global Perspectives and Teaching Literature

Diverse Portrayals
d) Diverse Portrayals in Childrens Literature
Part 1: As a group, survey childrens literature and select a set of books
that include representations of people who are grouped together for
various racial, ethnic, religious, cultural, economic, social, physical,
political, historical reasons, etc. (e.g, African Americans, Latino/Latina
Americans, people with disabilities, LGBT families, people who identify as
Jewish/ Christian/ Muslim/ Atheist/ etc., Holocaust survivors, military
veterans, etc. Select contemporary realistic fiction or picture books
published within the last 10 years with a priority on finding the most
recent books. (Do not select folktales for this project.) Locate and read
12-15 books.

Part 2: On your own, write a paper (1000 words minimum) in which you
describe how individuals and groups are portrayed through the text and
illustrations. Are the portrayals accurate and authentic? Do the authors
and illustrators identify themselves as part of the group? Is difference a
focus of each book or are the books about something else? If any of the
books have been banned or censored, what were the concerns? What do
you notice about this set of books? What have you learned about issues of
portrayal and character?

Part 3: As a group, develop a 20-minute presentation in which you

demonstrate effective strategies for teaching with literature that
represents diverse cultural, racial, social, religious, economic, and sexual
identities and demonstrate strategies that facilitate a learning
environment in which differences and commonalities are valued. 1.
Provide an oral retelling of the most powerful and personally meaningful
book in your collection. 2. Display all of the books you analyzed and
provide a book talk and picture walk through the collection. Highlight
cultural, linguistic, and stylistic variations along with illustrations. 3.
Demonstrate a strategy for teaching children based on this collection. 4.
Provide the class with an annotated bibliography and a brief description of
teaching ideas that support global understanding and diverse perspectives.

Component 4 Teaching Childrens Literature

e) Read Aloud (Modeling Reading Strategies)

Select an appropriate Picture Story book for reading aloud (use your
textbook for ideas).

Step 1: Pick a book for a read aloud and develop a lesson plan using this

Step 2 (In-class Practice): In class, you will read this book to a small group
of your peers. Your peers will record your reading and anonymously
evaluate you using criteria from the textbook. You will receive the
feedback on your text selection and your read-aloud strategies. You will
use the comments for constructive, reflective purposes.

Step 3 (In field experience): You will read a story to a group of children and
film your performance (do not film childrens faces). You will post your
video in the class site. You will also extend your read aloud by leading the
students in a response to the text. You will design and execute a lesson
based on the childrens needs and interests. You will collect evidence of
student learning and reflect on your effectiveness. (These activities may
occur over several days.) (Step 3: Critical Task)
f) Books Talks (Modeling Text Selection Criteria and Multimodal
Responses to Texts)
You will present one book talk to the class. After selecting a piece of
literature, develop a book talk to introduce the book to the class. Your book
talk will be presented to a small the whole class. I will evaluate your talk
using criteria from your textbook. Each student will sign up for a specific
date for the book talk.

g) Literature Discussion Groups/Book Clubs (Demonstrating Shared or

Guided Reading Strategies)
This assignment is connected to Component 1a Literary Analysis.
Each week, you will join other people who have read the same books and
create a book club. You will facilitate two book club sessions and
demonstrate your ability to lead one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led
discussions with diverse partners to explore literary content, elements,
and personal responses. You will document the discussion strategies you
use to guide the group. You will also collect documentation of student

Literary Analysis (C&W)

50 points each
600 total points

Classroom Book Wish List

100 points

Diverse Portrayals in Childrens Literature

Individual paper 100 points

Presentation 100 points

Book Talks

20 points

Book Club facilitation and participation

facilitation, 50 points each, total 100 points

participation, 50 points total

Response Repository

5 points for each reflection

70 points total

Read Aloud

In-class 50 points
In field experience 50 points

1240 total points

9. Grading Criteria:
Indicate what system will be used (i.e. straight letter grade, a plus and minus, or
an S/U); grading scale, circumstances under which an I will be awarded. If this
is a course for majors, indicate what assignment(s) is a critical assignments and
the consequence if it is not completed. Also indicate that a minimum grade of C-
or S must be achieved in courses in their major.

Grading Criteria:
Plus/Minus Grading: A minimum grade of C- is required.

A+ = 98-100
A = 95-97
A- = 92-94

B+ = 90-91
B = 85-89
B- = 82-84

C+ = 80-81
C = 75-79
C- = 72-74

D+ = 70-71 F = 0-61
D = 65-69
D- = 62-64

Assessment of Weekly Participation/Attendance:

BE TURNED IN ON TIME. There are many legitimate reasons for absences, tardies, and late
work (e.g., family emergencies, illness, car trouble, etc.). If you miss class, arrive late, or leave
early, I will assume that your reasons are legitimate. Therefore, I do not excuse or accept
doctors notes for absences, tardies, or late work for any reason. Please advise me if you will be
absent or late.

Consistent and complete attendance is necessary to learn all of the information covered in the
course and to observe modeled instructional strategies. More than one absence or two tardies (for
any reason) will lower your grade according to the following breakdown.

EACH ABSENCE (for any reason) will lower your course grade by 1 letter grade.

EACH TARDY/LEAVE EARLY (for any reason) will lower your course grade by 5% because
you will miss demonstrations, class activities, or reading strategies. Any tardy or early
departure over 30 minutes is considered an absence.
Any assignment that is not turned in at the designated time is considered late.
Assignments submitted within 7 days after the due date will receive no more than half
credit. Any assignment that is turned in after 7 days will NOT be accepted and will
receive no credit.
PREPARATION FOR CLASS (for any reason) you will be asked to leave. This includes, but
is not limited to, checking email, texting, searching the Internet, taking phone calls, etc. If
you are asked to leave, this will result in an absence.

Critical Tasks
Students in the Elementary Education Program are required to successfully
complete Critical Tasks in program courses to document meeting State of Florida
teacher preparation standards.
Critical tasks must be posted in the electronic portfolio (Chalk and Wire).
Students must score a 3 or higher on the Chalk and Wire rubric in order to pass
the course. You are responsible for submitting the assignment to Chalk and Wire
at the time you submit the assignment for the instructors evaluation. The
homepage of the College of Education website has a link to Chalk and Wire for
information about training and their help desk.

Textbook(s) and Readings:

List required and/or recommended texts and readings. If text is older than five
years, provide a statement as to why it is being used.

Required Textbook
Kiefer, B. & Tyson, C. (2013). Charlotte Hucks childrens literature a brief guide
(2nd Ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill. ISBN-10: 0078024420 | ISBN-13:

Optional Readings
Al-Hazza, T. C. and Bucher, K. T. (2008), Building Arab Americans' Cultural
Identity and Acceptance With Children's Literature. The Reading Teacher,
62:210219. doi:10.1598/RT.62.3.3

Block, C. C. and Israel, S. E. (2004), The ABCs of Performing Highly Effective

Think-Alouds. The Reading Teacher, 58:154167. doi:10.1598/RT.58.2.4

Mills, H. and Jennings, L. (2011), Talking About Talk: Recaiming the Value and
Power of Literature Circles. The Reading Teacher, 64:590598. doi:10.1598/RT.

O'Neil, K. E. (2011), Reading Pictures: Developing Visual Literacy for Greater

Comprehension. The Reading Teacher, 65:214223. doi:10.1002/TRTR.01026

Risko, V. J., Walker-Dalhouse, D., Bridges, E. S. and Wilson, A. (2011), Drawing on

Text Features for Reading Comprehension and Composing. The Reading Teacher,
64:376378. doi:10.1598/RT.64.5.12

Serafini, F. (2011), Creating Space for Children's Literature. The Reading

Teacher, 65:3034. doi:10.1598/RT.65.1.4

Academic Dishonesty: (Use the statement below)

Plagiarism is defined as "literary theft" and consists of the unattributed

quotation of the exact words of a published text or the unattributed borrowing of
original ideas by paraphrase from a published text. On written papers for which
the student employs information gathered from books, articles, or oral sources,
each direct quotation, as well as ideas and facts that are not generally known to
the public-at-large, must be attributed to its author by means of the appropriate
citation procedure. Citations may be made in footnotes or within the body of the
text. Plagiarism also consists of passing off as one's own, segments or the total of
another person's work.

Punishment for academic dishonesty will depend on the seriousness of the

offense and may include receipt of an "F" with a numerical value of zero on the
item submitted, and the "F" shall be used to determine the final course grade. It is
the option of the instructor to assign the student a grade of "F" of "FF" (the latter
indicating dishonesty) in the course.
Detection of Plagiarism: It is very important to state in your
syllabus that you plan to submit student assignments to in
order to detect plagiarism. This will give you the legal right to submit student
assignments to If you pan to submit assignments to Safe
Assignment, use the statement below:

The University of South Florida has an account with an automated plagiarism

detection service which allows instructors to submit student assignments to be
checked for plagiarism. I reserve the right to 1) request that assignments be
submitted to me as electronic files and 2) electronically submit to, or 3) ask students to submit their assignments to through myUSF. Assignments are compared automatically
with a database of journal articles, web articles, and previously submitted
papers. The instructor receives a report showing exactly how a student's paper
was plagiarized.

Web Portal Information: (Use the statement below)

Every newly enrolled USF student receives an official USF e-mail account that
ends with "" Every official USF correspondence to students
will be sent to that account. Go to the Academic Computing website and select the
link "Activating a Student E-mail Account" for detailed information. Information
about the USF Web Portal can be found at:

ADA Statement: (Use the statement below)

Students in need of academic accommodations for a disability may consult with

the office of Services for Students with Disabilities to arrange appropriate
accommodations. Students are required to give reasonable notice (typically 5
working days) prior to requesting an accommodation

USF Policy on Religious Observances: (Use the statement below)

the instructor, in writing, by the second class meeting.


What Is “Dry” Wine?

August 7, 2018

The world of wine is an amazing one at times. There’s so much to taste, tens of thousands of varieties to explore, and great times to be had with every bottle. However, nobody could deny that, when it comes to jargon and terminology, it can be incredibly frustrating, daunting, and confusing, too.

The word “dry” when used in reference to wine is confusing from the very first moment. Wine is a liquid – it is, therefore, the polar opposite of “dry”. Despite this, it’s a piece of terminology which we become extremely familiar with from the very beginning. We see it on wine lists at restaurants, emblazoned across labels in our wine store, and we hear wine experts using it in their descriptions pretty much all the time. Why, then, is it so often misused and misunderstood?

What is – and isn’t – dryness in wine?

The reason the word “dry” is so commonly misused comes down to the simple fact that all too many of us use it in a rational sense; we often describe a wine as being “dry” due to the sensory characteristics we come across while drinking. It’s important to remember, though, that just because a wine seems dry, this doesn’t necessarily make it a dry wine. Confused? We don’t blame you. Let’s take a closer look, and try to clear this issue up!

Put simply, a dry wine is one which isn’t sweet, due to it having no residual sugar. During the fermentation process, all those lovely sweet sugars present in grapes gets eaten by yeast, which in turn creates carbon dioxide and allows the alcohol to be created. Many winemakers want their wines to retain some of the natural sweetness of the grapes, and halt the fermentation process before the yeast has had time to eat up all the sugar in the juice. The result is ‘residual sugar’ – that delightful little touch of sweetness on the palate you’ll find in wines such as Riesling, Gewurztraminer and others besides.

If the winemaker decides he wants his or her wine to be very dry, the fermentation process will be allowed to come to a natural finish, during which all the sugar in the juice will have been consumed by the yeast. Bone-dry wines with crystal clarity and absolutely no trace of residual sweetness have become highly fashionable in recent years, and this has led to the resurgence of very dry styles of Chardonnay, as well as other grape varietals which suit a biting dryness, like Gruner Veltliner. No sugar, no sweetness on the palate – this equals what we’d call a dry wine.

So Why Is This Term Misused?

If we consider the fact that “dry” simply means “not sweet”, then why is it than wine drinkers are getting this term confused?

Quite simply, because we often confuse the technical term “dry” with a sensation of dryness. Dry wines do not necessarily create that dryness in the mouth we’ve all experienced from certain full-bodied or very tannic wines; that astringent sensation is caused by the tannins reacting on your tongue, and not by the level of sweetness or technical dryness of the wine you’re drinking.

It’s worth pointing out at this point that many dry (in the non-sugary sense) wines are also high in tannins, so this astringent sensation is often combined with a lack of sweetness in the same bottle. This doesn’t change the facts, though: wines will only dry your mouth if they are strong in tannins, not if they lack residual sugar.

Other Misconceptions

People often also assume that dry wines are higher in alcohol. Why is this the case? Most likely because more alcoholic wines have a stronger alcohol flavor, which also tricks our palate into a sensation of dryness. Again, this has little to do with the amount of residual sugar in the wine. Some sweet wines – like the famous dessert wines of southern France and Hungary – are very high in alcohol, and yet contain sackfuls of residual sugar… and nobody would dream of calling them “dry”!

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Boosting techniques have recently been rising in Kaggle competitions and other predictive analysis tasks. You may have heard of them under the names of XGBoost or LGBM. In this tutorial, we’ll go through Adaboost, one of the first boosting techniques discovered.

This article can also be found on Towards Data Science.

The limits of Bagging

For what comes next, consider a binary classification problem. We are either classifying an observation as 0 or as 1. This is not the purpose of the article, but for the sake of clarity, let’s recall the concept of bagging.

Bagging is a technique that stands for Bootstrap Aggregating. The essence is to select T bootstrap samples, fit a classifier on each of these samples, and train the models in parallel. Typically, in a Random Forest, decision trees are trained in parallel. The results of all classifiers are then averaged into a bagging classifier :

This process can be illustrated in the following way. Let’s consider 3 classifiers which produce a classification result and can be either right or wrong. If we plot the results of the 3 classifiers, there are regions in which the classifiers will be wrong. These regions are represented in red.

This example works perfectly since when one classifier is wrong, the two others are correct. By voting classifier, you achieve great accuracy! But as you might guess, there are also cases in which Bagging does not work properly, when all classifiers are mistaken in the same region.

For this reason, the intuition behind the discovery of Boosting was the following :

  • instead of training parallel models, one needs to train models sequentially
  • and each model should focus on where the previous classifier performed poorly

Introduction to Boosting

The intuition described above can be described as such :

  • Train the model on the whole set
  • Train the model with exaggerated data on the regions in which performs poorly
  • Train the model with exaggerated data on the regions in which

Instead of training the models in parallel, we can train them sequentially. This is the essence of Boosting!

Boosting trains a series of low performing algorithms, called weak learners, by adjusting the error metric over time. Weak learners are algorithms whose error rate is slightly under 50% as illustrated below :

Weighted errors

How could we implement such classifier? By weighting errors throughout the iterations! This would give more weight to regions in which the previous classifiers performed poorly.

Let’s consider data points on a 2D plot. Some of them will be well classified, others won’t. Usually, the weight attributed to each error when computing the error rate is where n is the number of data points to classify.

Now if we apply some weight to the errors :

You might now notice that we give more weight to the data points that are not well classified. Here’s an illustration of the weighting process :

In the end, we want to build a strong classifier that may look like this :

Tree stumps

One question you might ask, is how many classifiers should one implement to have it working well? And how is each classifier chosen at each step?

The answer lies in the definition of so-called tree stumps! Tree stumps defines a 1-level decision tree. The main idea is that at each step, we want to find the best stump, i.e the best data split, that minimizes the overall error. You can see a stump as a test, in which the assumption is that everything that lies on one side belongs to class 1, and everything that lies on the other side belongs to class 0.

There are a lot of combinations possible for a tree stump. Let’s see how many combinations we face in our simple example? Let’s take a minute to count them.

Well, the answer is… 12 ! It might seem surprising, but it’s rather easy to understand.

There are 12 possible “test” we could make. The “2” on the side of each separating line simply represents the fact that all points on one side could be points that belong to class 0, or class 1. Therefore, there are 2 tests embedded in it.

At each iteration , we will choose the weak classifier that splits best the data, by reducing the overall error rate the most. Recall that the error rate is a modified error rate version that takes into account what has been introduced before.

Finding the best split

As stated above, the best split is found by identifying at each iteration , the best weak classifier , generally a decision tree with 1 node and 2 leaves (a stump). Suppose that we are trying a predict whether someone who wants to borrow money will be a good payer or not :

In this case, the best split at time is to stump on the Payment history. In this case, the best split at time tt is to stump on the Payment history, since the weighted error resulting from this split is minimal.

Simply note that decision tree classifiers like these can in practice be deeper than a simple stump. This will be a hyper-parameter.

Combining classifiers

The next logical step is to combine the classifiers into a Sign classifier and depending on which side of the frontier a point will stand, it will be classified as 0 or 1. It can be achieved this way :

Do you see any way to potentially improve the classifier?

By adding weights on each classifier !

Wrapping it up

Let’s wrap up in a small pseudo-code what we covered so far.

Step 1 : Let where denotes the number of training samples, and let be the chosen number of iterations.

Step 2 : For in :

a. Pick the weak classifier that minimizes

b. Compute the weight of the classifier chosen :

c. Update the weights of the training examples and go back to step a).

Step 3 :

If you’d like to understand the intuition behind $ w_i^{t+1} $, here’s the formula : $ w_{t+1}(i) = \frac { w_{t}(i) } { Z } e ^{- \alpha^t h^t(x) y(x)}$

The key elements to remember from it are :

  • is a constant whose role is to normalize the weights so that they add up to 1!
  • is a weight that we apply to each classifier

And we’re done! This algorithm is called AdaBoost. This is the most important algorithm one needs to understand to fully understand all boosting methods.

Boosting algorithms are rather fast to train, which is great. But how come they’re fast to train since we consider every stump possible and compute exponentials recursively?

Well, here’s where the magic happens. If we choose properly $ \alpha^t $ and $ Z $, the weights that are supposed to change at each step simplify to :

This is a very strong result, and it does not contradict the statement according to which the weights should vary with the iterations, since the number of training samples that are badly classified drops, and their total weights is still 0.5!

  • No to compute
  • No
  • No exponential

And there’s another trick: any classifier that tries to split 2 well-classified data points will never be optimal. There’s no need to even compute it.

AdaBoost has for a long time been considered as one of the few algorithms that do not overfit. But lately, it has been proven to overfit at some point, and one should be aware of it. AdaBoost is vastly used in face detection to assess whether there is a face in the video or not. AdaBoost can also be used as a regression algorithm.

Let’s code!

Now, we’ll take a quick look at how to use Adaboost in Python using a simple example on a handwritten digit recognition.

import pandas as pd
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

from sklearn.ensemble import AdaBoostClassifier
from sklearn.tree import DecisionTreeClassifier

from sklearn.metrics import accuracy_score
from sklearn.model_selection import cross_val_score
from sklearn.model_selection import cross_val_predict
from sklearn.model_selection import train_test_split
from sklearn.model_selection import learning_curve

from sklearn.datasets import load_digits

Let’s load the data :

dataset = load_digits()
X = dataset['data']
y = dataset['target']

$ X $ contains arrays of length 64 which are simply flattened 8x8 images. This dataset aims to recognize handwritten digits. Let’s take a look at a given handwritten digit :

If we stick to a Decision Tree Classifier of depth 1 (a stump), here’s how to implement AdaBoost classifier :

reg_ada = AdaBoostClassifier(DecisionTreeClassifier(max_depth=1))
scores_ada = cross_val_score(reg_ada, X, y, cv=6)

And it should head a result of around 26%, which can largely be improved. One of the key parameters is the depth of the sequential decision tree classifiers. How does accuracy improve with depth of the decision trees?

score = []
for depth in [1,2,10] :
    reg_ada = AdaBoostClassifier(DecisionTreeClassifier(max_depth=depth))

And the maximal score is reached for a depth of 10 in this simple example, with an accuracy of 95.8%.

The Github repository of this article can be found here.

Conclusion : I hope that this article introduced clearly the concept of AdaBoost and that it does now seem clear to you. Don’t hesitate to drop a comment if you have any question.

References :

Leave a comment


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Frederick jackson turner s thesis

His father was active in Republican politics, an investor in the railroad, and was a newspaper editor and publisher. His mother taught school. He earned his Ph. Turner did not publish extensively; his influence came from tersely expressed interpretive theories published in articleswhich influenced his hundreds of disciples.

Frederick jackson turner s thesis

Frederick jackson turner s thesis

He writes of how the frontier drove American history and why America is how it is today. Turner reflects on the past to prove his point by noting human fascination with the frontier and how expansion to the American West changed people's views on their culture.

It is a thesis that has been respected in the historical circle for many years. Inin "The Frontier and American Institutions: A Criticism of the Turner Thesis," Professor George Wilson Pierson debated the validity of the Turner thesis, stating that many factors influenced American culture besides the looming frontier.

Frederick Jackson Turner, “Significance of the Frontier in American History” (1893)

Although he respected Turner, Pierson strongly argues his point by looking beyond the frontier and acknowledging other factors in American development. The Unbroken Past of the American West.

Frederick jackson turner s thesis

Urban historian Richard C.

Frontier Thesis - Wikipedia

Wade challenged the Frontier Thesis in his first book, The Urban Frontierasserting that western cities such as Pittsburgh, Louisville, and Cincinnati, not the farmer pioneers, were the catalysts for western expansion.Frederick Jackson Turner's essay, "The Significance of the Frontier in American History," written in , is perhaps the most influential essay ever read at the American Historical Association's annual conference.

The Frontier Thesis Introduction The emergence of western history as an important field of scholarship started with Frederick Jackson Turner’s () famous essay “The Significance of the Frontier in American history.”[1] This thesis shaped both popular and scholarly views of .

FRONTIER THESIS, TURNER'S. FRONTIER THESIS, TURNER'S. Frederick Jackson Turner's "The Significance of the Frontier in American History" is arguably one of the most influential interpretations of the American past ever espoused.

Delivered in Chicago before two hundred historians at the World's Columbian Exposition, a celebration of the four hundredth anniversary of Columbus's .

The Turner Theses

Frederick Jackson Turner’s Frontier Thesis Essay Sample. We live in a world where everything is constantly changing. Everything that we see, feel, hear, taste and smell at one moment are not the same things as they were before. Jan 28,  · Best Answer: "The Significance of the Frontier in American History" is a seminal essay by the American historian Frederick Jackson Turner which advanced the Frontier Thesis of American history.

It was presented to a special meeting of the American Historical Association at the World's Columbian Exposition on July 12, , in Chicago, Illinois, and published later that year first in Status: Resolved.

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Changes between Initial Version and Version 1 of NetworkDynamicSpecs

10/25/12 13:22:14 (7 years ago)

Moved nd spec onto wiki from:

  • NetworkDynamicSpecs

    v1 v1
     2== Base Specifications for networkDynamic Package ==
     4This document provides the specification design notes used in writing the networkDynamic package. Additional specs and proposals are located on:
     5 * NetworkDynamicConverterFunctions
     6 * TemporallyExtendedAttributes
     7 * PersistentIdProposal
     11=== Goals overview ===
     13Extend the "network" package data structures to be able to store and access in a reasonably efficient way:
     14 * Networks with nodes with "activity" or "existence" status changes over time (they enter or leave the network)
     15 * Edges which appear and disappear over time
     16 * Arbitrary attribute values attached to nodes and edges that change over time
     17 * Meta-level attributes of the network which change over time
     18 * Both continuous and discrete time models are supported, and it is possible to effectively blend multiple representations in the same object.
     20=== Outline of Structure ===
     22The networkDynamic package provides support for a simple family of dynamic extensions to the network class; these are currently accomplished via the standard network attribute functionality (and hence the resulting objects are still compatible with all conventional routines), but greatly facilitate the practical storage and utilization of dynamic network data.
     24Currently, each edge and vertex in a dynamically extended network is presumed to be in one of two states (“active” or “inactive”) at any given point in time. The state of a network element (i.e., edge or vertex) is governed by an attribute with the name “active”, which is considered a reserved term for purposes of this package.
     26=== Definition of Activity Spell ===
     28The activity attribute consists of a two-column numeric matrix, each row of which contains an activity spell, and the two columns of which encode onset and terminus times (respectively). Elements are presumed inactive until the onset of their first activity spell, and are likewise presumed inactive after the termination of their last spell; spells must be consecutive and strictly non-overlapping, and are taken to span the period from the onset (inclusive) to the terminus (exclusive). The onset value for each spell must always be less then or equal to the terminus. As long as this constraint is met, any numeric values may be used for spell timing, including Inf and -Inf. (The latter are used to create spells which are open-ended.)
     30Elements which are strictly inactive (i.e., with no valid activity spells) may be denoted by a matrix considering only of the special “null” spell, c(Inf,Inf). Functions using this package extensions should interpret this spell to indicate complete inactivity. This spell is likewise incompatible with other spells, and should be replaced whenever an activation enters the element's event history.
     32Although various special functions are provided to aid access to the active attribute, they are not strictly necessary: any standard network methods (e.g., get.edge.attribute) may be used to get or set this information. Care should be taken, however, to preserve the mandatory two-column structure when setting or modifying activity attributes.
     34=== Inserting / Setting Spells ===
     35Insertion of spells that intersect other spells. New spells should overwrite old, and any remaining time should be accounted for with new spells
     38=== Modifying Spells ===
     42==== Comparing and matching spells ====
     44Many of the operations involving dynamic networks or attributes require comparisons of spells in order to determine inclusion or exclusion of elements of the network. When a function permits inclusion of "onset" and "terminus" values, the function is implemented to assume that the "query interval" is the spell from onset (inclusive) to terminus (exclusive). When two spells have identical values for onset and terminus, they are considered as matching. When comparisons are made involving the (nearly) zero-length query spell where onset=terminus, they will be performed as "point comparisons" where only the onset (inclusive) is compared to target spells when evaluating a match.
     46=== Matching Rules For Spells ===
     48When working with continuous time data or non-unit length query spells it is highly likely that vertex and edge activity spells will not exactly line up with with the query spell used to ascertain their activity. For example, a node may toggle on and off multiple times within a time period, or may be deactivated partway through the time period. Methods which determine the activity of elements must include a parameter to give the appropriate rule for resolving the ambiguous cases. The minimal set of supported rules is:
     49        "any": include a an element if it is active at any time during the query spell
     50        "all": only include elements that are active for the entire duration of a query spell
     54=== Infinite values in spells ===
     56Regarding queries with infinite values, elements are defined to be active at negative infinity if the activity spells of these elements are of the form \code{c(-Inf, x)}, where x is a finite number or \code{Inf}. Likewise, elements are defined to be active at positive infinity for activity spells of the form \code{c(x, Inf)}, where x is finite or \code{-Inf}. Elements are defined as inactive at all time points for those with activity spells = \code{c(Inf, Inf)}.
     58Note that there are a lot of complications here surrounding Inf values.  If an activity spell starts at time Inf, it can never match anything (including query onsets of Inf) because it starts after all possible spells.  If an activity spell starts at finite time and ends at Inf, however, it _does_ match an onset/terminus of Inf.  By turns, a spell which begins at time -Inf should match -Inf onset times.
     60Todo: update here about interpretations of -Inf and Inf values as onset-censored and terminus-censored
     64=== Defining the behavior of a network over time. ===
     66 1.When new members join the network, they should be added with add.vertices (as usual).  When old members exit, however, they are _not_ deleted -- instead, they are simply deactivated.  Thus, one modifies the existing
     67network in place, and does not produce a network for every time step.
     69 2.Activation/deactivation is time stamped (continuous time, but you can use it discretely), and an edge or vertex can be activated or deactivated any number of times.  An edge must be added the first time that the (i,j) pair
     70occurs, but thereafter its activity can simply be modified to represent switching off/on.
     72 3.There are various ways to query the resulting network object regarding the status of vertices, edges, etc.  Among other things, one can simply extract a cross-section (as a reduced-form network) if one needs it.  All queries can be executed either as point intersection queries or as interval queries, as needs warrant.
     75=== A few notes and potential pitfalls:===
     77 1.Do not cannibalize vertices (re-use vertex ids) unless you know what you are doing. The network should gradually accumulate as new individuals are added; old ones are deactivated, but their IDs remain the same.
     79 2.The system does not currently enforce consistency between vertex and edge activation -- it is up to you to ensure that you update both elements appropriately.  Inconsistencies could produce surprising results.
     81 3.Remember to initialize vertices and edges with their initial activation states after adding them.  Otherwise, more surprising results may ensue.
     83 4.The new routines are all R-only, and hence may be slow in some cases. Hopefully, they will be fast enough for your application without backending them.  Where your application allows standard network functions to be used, do so (they are potentially faster); this mostly applies to gratuitous use of the "extended" network class methods, which should be avoided when not specifically necessary.
     85 5.Because many decimal numbers do not have exact binary equivalents (ex: 1.0-0.9-0.1 = -2.775558e-17 ) problems can occur when comparing spells where spells that seem like they logically should match in fact don't.  For example according to the rules of floating point math, 3.6125 != (289*0.0125).
     87=== Extracting a cross-section of a network ===
     89DRAFT Aggregation rules for collapsing networks
     90 * provide ability to include a function to sum, avg, max, etc edge weights
     91 * option to return set of values?
     95=== Conversion of discrete to continuous time ===
     97The underlying data representation of the package is a continuous time, but most discrete time time models can be expressed with care. The preferred representation is to store each discrete time step as an interval of unity duration [1,2).  In some situations (usually continuous-time representations of instantaneous measurements) it may be appropriate to use spells in which the onset and termination times are equal.  These should be thought of not as having a duration of zero, but as having a vanishingly small duration or one that is shorter than our ability to measure.
     99When converting from a discrete time model (panel data) to a continuous time representation there can be ambiguity about how the spells should be constructed. Functions performing these activities should permit both an "instant" model (wave 2 becomes the spell [2,2) ) and the "interval" model (wave 2 becomes the spell [2,3) ) with the interval model as the default to encourage consistency throughout the package.